Depth sounder



Bec. l, 1953 H. E. NORDSTROM 2,660,795A

DEPTH SOUNDER Filed June 50, 1951 BY/6. a/041% Mmm/Ey Patented Dec. 1, 1953 DEPTH SOUNDER Harry E. Nordstrom, Minneapolis, Minn., assigner of one-half to Stephen Zandlo, Minneapolis,

' Minn.

Application June 30, 1951, Serial No. 234,617

(Cl. {i3-126.5)

1 Claim.

The invention herein presents a depth sounder, especially useful to fishermen, adapted to be detachably connected to a fish hook while on a fishing line and thus put to its intended use.

The object of the invention is to provide a depth sounder which will be of extremely simple, inexpensive, satisfactory, efficient, novel and improved construction.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a depth sounder made according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 2--2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on a slightly enlarged scale, illustrating the manner in which a pierceable flat elementl or tongue 'of the depth sounder of Figs. 1 and 2 can be assembled with a weight of said depth sounder;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of a depth sounder of modified construction incorporating features and characteristics of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View, taken on line 5 5 in Fig. 4; and- Fig. 6 is an end elevational view demonstrating the manner in which any depth sounder made according to the invention is put to use.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, I0 denotes a weight of material heavier than water, and II indicates a pierceable fiat element or tongue having an edge portion thereof securely, but removably, fastened in a rectilinear slot I2 in and across an end portion of said weight. The weight ID can be of any desired size and shape. As disclosed, said weight is of curvilinear configuration.

In an instance when the weight of the depth sounder is made of rigid metal, such as brass, it may be desirable to construct the pierceable fiat element or tongue of stretchable material such as rubber. When said pierceable flat element or tongue is of stretchable material, it may be of thickness greater than a dimension representing the width of the rectilinear slot Il. In Fig. 3 of the drawing, a manner in which the flat element or tongue II of Figs. 1 and 2 can be assembled with the weight Ill is illustrated. The side edges of an end portion of the stretchable flat element or tongue can be grasped by the ngers and moved apart thus to decrease the thickness of said flat element or tongue until it can be fitted down into the rectilinear slot I I. When, then, the side edges of said flat element or tongue are released, after insertion in said rectilinear slot, the element attempts to return to its natural thickness thus to be firmly grasped by the weight and retained in the rectilinear slot. The fiat element or tongue of any depth sounder made according to the invention desirably will be of material which can be easily punctured by a fish hook.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the weight III is provided with a transverse opening I3 included so that the depth sounder can also iind use as a sinker in any instance when this may be desirable. Stated differently, the weight I0 is provided with a transverse opening through which a fishing line to be attached to said weight can be passed thus to render the device capable of functioning as a sinker.

With respect to Figs. 4 and 5, numeral I5 indicates a weight of the depth finder there shown, and I6 represents a pierceable flat element or tongue having an end portion thereof securely fastened in a rectilinear slot I'I in and across an end portion of said weight I5. In the event the weight is made of a relatively non-rigid metal such as lead, a non-stretchable puncturable flat element or tongue may be employed. The rectilinear slot I1 may be made originally to have width sufficiently great to snugly receive an end portion of the flat element or tongue I6. In Fig. 5 the extreme end portion of the weight is upset, as at I8, against opposed surfaces of the flat element or tongue thus to tightly clamp said nat element or tongue in said weight. The flat element or tongue I5 can be composed of any material suitable to its purpose, such as fabric, leather, etc.

In Fig. 6 the depth sounder there shown is supported on a sh hook 20 itself suspended from a fishing line 2| lowered into a body of water. The fish hook has been made to removably penetrate a flat element or tongue 22, equivalent to either flat element or tongue I I or I6, of the depth sounder, thus to support said depth sounder, and the weight 23, equivalent to either the weight I0 or I5, has reached bottom thus to indicate the depth of the water.

What is claimed is:

A depth finder comprising a weight of material heavier than water having a rectilinear slot in and across an edge portion thereof open at an outer side and opposite ends of the rectilinear slot to be contiguous with bounding surfaces at an end and opposite sides of said weight, and a flat element of readily puncturable material having a rst edge portion thereof situated in and across said rectilinear slot to be accessible at said end and opposite side bounding surfaces of said weight With which the outer side and opposite ends of the rectilinear slot are contiguous and graspingly secured within and to said Weight and a second edge portion thereof disposed exteriorly of said weight, said Weight having a transverse opening for attachably receiving a fishing line thus to render the depth nder also capable of functioning as a sinker.

HARRY E. NORDSTROM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 268,769 Brooks Dec. 5, 1882 1,500,463 Mattern July 8, 1924 

